The Neuropathology Core fulfills an essential role in the overall function of the Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADC). This Core is responsible for accessioning brains for autopsy and providing a neuropathological diagnosis. Semi-quantitative and quantitative information regarding the neuropathological examinations of demented patients and normal controls is also obtained. The Core is responsible for distributing biological tissue to investigators inside and outside the institution. Thus far, the autopsy rate from the Rochester community sample is 56%. The clinical neuropathologic correlation for both Rochester community patients and patients from the Jacksonville, Florida satellite has been good. The mean age at the time of death of patients from the community sample is 84 years, and consequently, issues regarding appropriate neuropathological criteria for dementia in this older age group will be studied by this Core. We anticipate processing approximately 20 brains per year from Rochester and 15 brains per year from the Jacksonville satellite. Through a collaborative arrangement, selected cases will be sent to Bradley Hyman, M.D., Ph.D. at the massachusetts General Hospital for further quantitative analysis of neuropathological markers i normal aging, patients with a mild cognitive impairment and patients with early AD. Brain tissue will continue to be sent to our basic neuroscience collaborators at Mayo Jacksonville. The Neuropathology Core is also processing and storing frozen lymphocytes for future DNA analysis. The Core is currently performing Apolipoprotein E analyses on demential cases and normal controls, and has accumulated a large series of specimens on longitudinally studied patients. The Core is also involved in entering its dat into the ADCs overall database. This process is in the formative stages currently and will be pursued in the proposed grant. In addition, i the next grant period the ADC would like to expand its neuropathological resources to the Jacksonville satellite to enable processing of postmortem tissue locally. The Neuropathology Core is performing an essential function for the ADC and is expanding its services. It will continue to provide basic neuropathological diagnostic information as well as serve as a resource for other investigators using biological material.